1. Field of the Invention
Our invention relates generally to systems for suspending and supporting decorations including strings of Christmas lights or other miscellaneous objects from elevated structures including residential dwellings, office buildings, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a system preferably used for hanging strings of decorative lights with multiple, resilient support clips that are remotely quick-fitted to structures such as gutters or the like, and which includes appropriate hand-operated installation apparatus for manipulating the clips and installing the wiring from the ground. Known prior art systems that are pertinent to the invention can be found in United States Patent Class 248, Subclasses 74.2, 223.41; Class 294, Subclass 24; Class 362 Subclass 396; and Class 428, Subclass 99.
2. Description of the Related Art
Outdoor lighting displays are quite popular during major holidays such as Christmas. Both commercial and non-commercial light displays involving diverse designs, colors and features are becoming increasingly common. Displays of multi-colored lights take on a variety of forms, and they may be applied to trees, shrubbery, exterior portions of buildings, signs, posts and other miscellaneous structures. Most residential, decorative lighting displays are temporary. Homeowners commonly install desired chains of colored lights before or slightly after the Thanksgiving Holiday, and then remove them after New Years Day. Many retail establishments, including specialty stores and smaller shops, also use temporary decorative lights on a seasonal basis. However, the popularity and complexity of vivid, colorful lighting displays is increasingxe2x80x94displays are often erected for other occasions, such as the Fourth of July, Halloween etc. Considerable electrical lengths of decorative wiring are frequently suspended along the roofline of residences. For example, it is common to attach strings of lights to gutters at the roof edges. Quite often, extension ladders are used by the installer to reach these elevated and otherwise inaccessible places. Installation can be difficult, time consuming, and vexatious. Possible detrimental weather conditions during the winter months aggravate installation problems.
Concurrently, large-scale light displays involving hundreds or thousands of lights are becoming increasingly popular. Gigantic displays, involving substantial creativity and artistic input, necessitate multiple electrical strands, each with bulbs of varying colors, sizes, and intensity. The installation of huge displays engenders extra effort, as lines of lights are often arranged and rearranged by xe2x80x9ctrial and errorxe2x80x9d methods to achieve the desired aesthetic impression. Where multiple, alternative configurations are deployed, the work effort increases dramatically, as strings of lights may be deployed, evaluated, and then taken down for adjustments and redeployment in alternative configurations. The efficiency of the installation and removal processes is critical.
Access to suitable support structures, including residential gutters, trees, and the like is often difficult. Extension ladders are heavy and cumbersome to handle. Commercial scaffolding arrangements are time consuming and often too expensive to use. Improper use of smaller stepladders or stools invite accident and injury. Not surprisingly, hand tools with elongated handles that facilitate installation of decorative lights from the ground or floor have previously been developed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,975, issued Oct. 1, 1996, discloses a pole-operated system for installing decorative lights upon elevated structures while the operator stays on the ground. Decorative strings of lights are manipulated by an adaptor suspended from and controlled by an elongated pole. Resilient xe2x80x9chooksxe2x80x9d are removably installed upon structure to be decorated to hold strands of bulbs. A finger projecting from the adaptor penetrates a ring that is integral with each hook to aid in handling and installation. Legs emanating from each hook ring facilitate engagement of the hook upon tree branches, roof gutter structure, or the like. Each hook has a curved, lower lip that removably supports the decorative wiring once the hook is deployed.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,489 issued Oct. 12, 1999 shows a pole-operated hook structure that facilitates the placement of decorations, including ornaments or decorative light strands. The pole controls a unique hook that enables manipulation of both the ornament and wire to be installed, and the elevated support structure that will hold it.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,291 issued Mar. 5, 2002 depicts another system for remotely affixing and removing decorative strands of lights upon a roof, a gutter, a tree, etc. An elongated pole-like implement supports a remote, U-shaped cradle that manipulates wire strands. A downwardly oriented hook facilitates proper positioning of the wiring. Temporary hangers or clips are used to support the wiring.
Other analogous pole-controlled systems for installing decorative lighting or other ornaments are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,617, 6,227,584, and 6,425,614. In addition, analogous pole-operative tools for mounting various items to suspended ceilings are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,135,692, 5,052,733, 5,188,332, 5,267,764, 5,247,725, 5,632,519, 5,938,255, and 6,048,010.
Finally, numerous resilient clips for supporting strands of decorative lights are known in the art. These diverse designs presumably may be manipulated and installed with or without special manipulating poles similar to those described above. In this regard attention is directed to U.S. Utility Pat. Nos. 3,181,827, 3,193,229, 3,438,604, 3,540,687, 3,599,916, 3,599,918, 4,905,131, 5,056,747, 5,388,802, 5,496,005, 5,566,058, and 5,581,956. Furthermore, resilient clips of this general character are illustrated in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D325,866, D356,246, D376,535, D414,291, and D427,510.
Known installation tools for erecting strands of decorative lights have several disadvantages. For one thing, roof designs are of varying dimensions and configurations, and many differently shaped gutters exist. In other words, the vertical cross-sections of different residential gutters can vary, complicating the required design for any clip or hook that is to be snap-fitted to the gutter. While xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d clips have been proposed in the art, some gutters are sufficiently different from the norm that available clips will not easily xe2x80x9csnap-fitxe2x80x9d to the gutter structure for a stable mount. Thus, even when affixed to available edge portions of the gutter or roofline, some clips do not assume a desired, uniform orientation. On the other hand, some buildings are not equipped with gutters at all. Clips designed with resilient fingers or prongs or legs that are designed to resiliently snap-fit to available structure often cannot be deployed upon available, flat surfaces. Furthermore, the efficiency of known application tools used to install prior art xe2x80x9cclipsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chooksxe2x80x9d to irregular surfaces or structures is low. Another problem is that conventional, pole-operated clip-installation tools are insufficiently dexterous to remove clips or hooks that have been forcibly installed upon irregular structures or surfaces for which they were not designed. As a result, some clips cannot be easily removed while the user stands in a safe position on the ground.
Another problem is that the higher one tries to reach, the more difficult it can become to manipulate a hand tool. Tools having moving parts such as compressible jaws or the like require substantial activation forces. This makes it difficult to manipulate or remove a wire-mounting clip, or the wiring held thereby, when working at maximum elevations. Another problem is that some prior art tools are incomplete, forcing the installer to use various hand tools in addition to the clips and parts already required.
In a typical situation where the installer cannot reach the tallest part of the structure upon which the lights are to be installed, one must use a ladder or other elevating structure. Of course, the closer to ground that the user stands, the more stable is his or her support. Thus, adequate installing systems must enable the user to remain stably supported as close to the ground as possible. Furthermore, valuable time is lost when, because of the inaccessible orientation of the structure to be decorated, the user""s stand or stool must be frequently repositioned to enable access to target regions being decorated. A suitable system must readily facilitate access to as wide a region to be decorated as possible, to minimize the number of times that the stool or other stand must be repositioned.
Thus a rapidly deployable pole and clip system that accommodates vastly different applications, including roofs, gutters, and other structures of varying dimensions, elevations, and configurations is highly advantageous.
Such a system must include clips of appropriate configurations and dimensions to handle those real-world applications that are likely to be encountered in the field. The installation tools must reliably and non-destructively handle not only the suspension clips, but the wiring strands and lights to be erected. Furthermore, the clips must be readily capable of removal. Of course the installation tool must adequately enable disassemblyxe2x80x94hard to reach clips that are to be removed should be easily xe2x80x9csnappedxe2x80x9d out of engagement with the gutter where desired. Suitable clips must be inexpensive and lightweight, and at the same time, strong and dependable. The use of complex metallic tools with compound parts should be avoided. Finally, the entire system must be readily capable of dependable and safe use by a single person standing as close as possible to the ground, without dangerously overextending himself or herself upon a step stool or the like.
Resilient, preferably plastic clips and tools that accomplish these goals, and an apparatus and method for installing and/or removing them, are proposed.
Our invention comprises a system broadly adapted for deploying decorative strands of lighting from elevated objects or structures such as roof lines, gutters or the like. The preferred system, adapted to be packaged and sold as a kit, enables decorative lighting strings to be installed (and then removed) by a single person safely and efficiently from a stable position as close as possible to the ground. Our system is ideal for installing Christmas lights, but numerous other items including various forms of decorations and/or electrical wiring can be easily mounted upon available structures. Installation is readily accomplished without deploying cumbersome extension ladders, scaffolding, or heavy, unwieldy lifting equipment.
Our system uses a conventional, elongated pole for remotely accessing elevated objects or locations to be decorated. The other parts are injection molded from plastic. An installation nut screws onto the pole for remotely manipulating our accessory tools that control and deploy our wire-holding clips. One of our quick-connect tools is specially designed to control our wire-holding clips during installation. Another system accessory tool strings the decorative wiring amongst previously deployed clips, and manipulates the decorative wiring for removal. Two different wire-clip designs are provided. One gutter clip snap fits to conventional, residential rain gutters to suspend decorative wiring. We also provide a xe2x80x9cpeel-and-stickxe2x80x9d adhesive clip for applications lacking gutters. The adhesive clips are pressed against and thus stuck to available flat surfaces.
The preferred, two-piece steel pole is extensible, and it terminates in a suitable thread, similar to a common ACME thread. Many common household, metal or wooden poles like those used with mops, rakes, brooms or the like will work with our system, as long as the pole terminates in a suitable thread for quick, threadable connection to our preferred installation nut. The pole-mounted installation nut provides a means for quick connecting the various accessory tools that deploy our clips and/or manipulate decorative light strands. The preferred installation nut resembles a cylindrical barrel in shape. Opposite, spaced apart sides of the nut comprise receptacles to which preferred system accessory tools xe2x80x9cquick-connectxe2x80x9d. Preferably the nut receptacles have elongated, captivating slots to which the accessory tools are releasably coupled, without the need for hand tools or the like. Alternatively, the accessory tools may be threadably coupled to nut top through a suitable orifice.
Our wire-holding clips are preferably deployed upon or adjacent elevated locations with our preferred, clip controller. The resilient clip controller, shaped generally like a question mark, has an upper, outwardly-projecting, horizontal prong for temporarily penetrating and releasably engaging wiring clips to be installed. The lower, vertical portion of the controller comprises a pair of flexible, parallel legs. These legs are spaced apart from each other across a channel that facilitates flexing. To install the controller, the legs are inserted into the installation nut receptacle channel, and the two parts are simply pushed together. When the controller""s legs slide down far enough within the channel, special detents that are integral with the legs emerge from the nut. After the legs snap apart slightly, the detents yieldably captivate the controller within the installation nut.
After the controller is snap-fitted to the nut, the controller prong may be temporality pressed into engagement with a chosen clip. With the help of the pole, clips are lifted to a desired location for installation, and oriented properly for application. Gutter clips moved into a position proximate a gutter may be snap fitted to its edges; adhesive clips may be simply pressed upon a desired flat surface. After a clip is installed, sideways movement of the clip controller will disassociate it from a clip as its prong withdraws. Installed gutter clips, which will remain firmly attached, may later be removed by a reversal of the process.
Once the clips are pre-installed, the wiring strands may be deployed. Our special wire controller tool mounts to the pole and installation nut the same way the clip controller does. First, the clip controller is removed by pinching the legs together, clearing its integral leg detents, and then pulling the controller and it apart. The wire tool is then installed. Preferably, it comprises an elongated, body with a pair of upper, arcuate arms. One arm has an upwardly facing recess for lifting wiring, and the oppositely curved arm is ideal for pulling wires downwardly into the deployed clips. The wire tool has a pair of downwardly projecting legs similar to those of the clip controller. During installation, the legs are fitted within the installation nut slot, and when fully inserted, integral, projecting detents will emerge from the nut bottom and allow the legs to pop apart. The wire tool will thus be resiliently captivated within the nut. Afterwards, when it is desired to change tools, the leg feet need merely be pinched slightly together to compress the detents, and free the tool for removal.
The preferred gutter clip comprises a central baseplate, an integral, upper latch projecting towards the lip of the gutter, an integral, lower foot, and an integral, outwardly angled cradle for holding the wiring. The generally rectangular baseplate functions as a frame, and when the clip is properly deployed, it is oriented vertically. The latch comprises a horizontal arm integrally projecting away from the baseplate. The arm terminates in an integral barb that engages the gutter lip for mounting. The gutter clip foot projects away from the baseplate and contacts the gutter to bias and tension the arrangement, enabling the clip to resiliently, snap-fit to the target.
The resilient cradle extends away from the gutter clip baseplate on the opposite side of the arm and foot. The cradle comprises a pair of interconnected, arcuate segments, and it terminates in an outer tab. An open throat between the cradle tab and the baseplate admits the wiring to be installed. Importantly, a semicircular controller region is defined between the larger cradle arcuate segment and the baseplate. This region is adapted to be yieldably penetrated by the clip installer prong to temporarily captivate and manipulate a clip.
The adhesively-backed clip is designed to be pressed against and stuck to available flat surfaces. Each adhesive clip comprises a baseplate that supports an integral, outwardly projecting cradle. The resilient, angled cradle comprises an arcuate segment terminating in an integral, outer tab. As with the gutter clip, a semicircular controller region is defined between the cradle and the baseplate for engagement by the clip controller prong during installation. As before, a throat is defined between the cradle tab and the baseplate surface for supporting wiring extending between the clips. Unlike the gutter clips, each adhesive clip has an adhesive layer on the underside of the baseplate that is normally covered by a peel-away sheet. Prior to installing an adhesive clip captivated by the clip controller, the sheet is peeled away, and the clip is press-fitted to the desired target with the aid of the pole.
In the best mode, all clips have numerous, integral, transverse cylindrical bosses traversing their width. These bosses facilitate ejection from the high-speed mold. Additionally, the spaced apart bosses reinforce the clips, adding substantial strength and durability to prevent breakage.
Thus, a basic object of our invention is to provide a streamlined technique for installing and/or uninstalling decorative strings of lights upon or within various structures, enclosures, buildings, residences, or the like.
Another fundamental object is to provide an installation method and apparatus for stringing Christmas lights and decorations.
A similar object is to provide resilient plastic clips that can be easily deployed upon gutters or other support structure for receiving and reliably holding decorative strings of lights.
Yet another object is to provide a simple, multi-piece system of the character described that may be used by a single individual for installing decorative light strings, while stably positioning himself or herself as close as possible to the ground, the floor, or other horizontal supporting surface.
Another related object is to provide resilient wire-holding clips that can be quickly snap-fitted to conventional, residential gutters.
Another object of our invention is to provide a pole-like tool that enables a single person to install and/or uninstall not only the resilient holding clips, but also the wiring that is supported by the clips.
Another object is to provide a safe method for mounting decorative light strings, and for pre-attaching the clips used to support the wires, to available roof structures such as rain gutters, without ladders, stools, lifting equipment, scaffolding or similar elevating structure.
Yet another simple object of our invention is to provide a resilient clip that snap-fits to conventional gutters, and which is capable of remote control from a safe position upon the ground.
A related object is to provide an alternative clip that adhesively sticks to available flat surfaces, which are present on walls, windows, eaves, conventional gutters, and the like.
A further object is to provide a manipulating tool of the character described that can be employed with common household poles bearing common threads, similar to common ACME threads.
Another important object is to avoid special tools or equipment utilizing compound parts or heavy metal components.
Yet another important object is to provide a simple method enabling the installation of Christmas lights either outside upon a building, or inside.
A still further object of our invention is to provide a clip of the character described that is strong, lightweight, and dependable, and which, when installed, provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
A still further object is to provide a decorating system of the character described that is equally suited for either outdoors or inside light displays.
A related object is to provide a highly adaptable and dexterous wiring installation system adapted to readily decorate a variety of structures other than buildings, including parked vehicles, signs, and a variety of natural or man-made objects.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the following descriptive sections.